Combined valve and switch apparatus.



No. 696,630. Patented Apr. I, I902. E. C. GARLAND.

COMBINED VALVE AND SWITCH APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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MW We W No. 696,630. Patented Apr. 1, 1902.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1901.)

Witnesses louentor Ernzsf G G arlandw Attorneys n1: scams vsrzns no. PHOYO-UTHQ, WASNINGTON. u. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

ERNEST O. GARLAND, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR- OF ONE- HALE TO TV. A. STEVENS, OF EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINED VALVE AND SWITCH APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,630, dated April. 1, 1902.

Application filed November-22,1901. Serial No. 83,288. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST O. GARLAND, of Chelsea, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,l1aveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Valve and Switch Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to gasolene-engines which are actuated by explosions of a gaseous working agent, the explosions being caused by an electric spark. In engines of this character it is customary to employ a battery-circuit to furnish the ignitingspark until the engine is under suflicientheadway to operate a dynamo and then to dis connect the battery-circuit and connect a dynamo-circuit with the igniting apparatus.

My invention has for its object, first, to enable the igniting-circuit (whether it be a battery or a dynamo circuit) to be broken by the closing of the valve which controls the supply of gasolene to the engine, so that there will be no possibility of failure to break said circuit when the supply of gasolene is shut off.

My invention also has for its object to enable the change from one circuit to the other to be effected by the said valve and to insure the entire disconnection of both circuits from the sparking apparatus when the valve is closed.

To these ends my invention consists in a combined valve and switch apparatus comprising a valve adapted to control the supply of gasolene to an engine, said valve being adapted to occupy either one of two difierent positions when open and an intermediate position when closed, a switch-arm movable with the valve, a battery contact-piece connected in circuit with a suitable battery and arranged to make contact with the switch-arm when the valve is in one of its open positions, and a dynamo contact-piece connected in a dynamo-circuit and arranged to make contact with the switch-arm when the valve is in the other open position, the arrangement being such that the switch-arm is out of contact with both contact-pieces when the valve is in its closed position.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Fi ure 1 represents a side view of a combined valve and switch apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an end View of the same. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 1. Fi is a diagrammatic representation of the sources of electrical energy and the circuits in their relation to the switch and engine.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, CL represents a valve-casing, and b a valve movable therein, the valve being preferably of the taper-plug variety and the casing provided with suitable passages corresponding with a port or passage extending through the valve, the arrangement being such that the valve when open may be turned a half-rotation and will be again opened at the end of said half-rotation, a quarter-rotation of the valve serving to close it. I desire it to be understood, however, that my invention hereinafter described is not limited to this particular style of valve, but may be used in connection with any valve to which it may be applicable.

To the valve Z) is affixed a metallic contact or switch arm 0, which is preferably affiXed to the stern Z) of the valve, although it may be secured to the valve in any othersuitable way.

d and e represent two contact-pieces, which are insulated from each other and from the valve and are so arranged relatively to each other and to the switch-arm c that when the valve is in one of its open positions the switch-arm will make electrical contact with the contact-piece (Z, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and when the valve is in its other open position the switch-arm will make contact with the other contact-piece e, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. .Vhen the apparatus of my invention is installed as a part of an engine or motor, the contact-piece d is connected in circuit with a suitable battery and the contact-piece e is connected in circuit with a dynamo.

It willbe seen "from the foregoing that when the valve and switch-arm occupy the position shown in full lines, the valve being open, the battery-circuit is closed by the contact of the switch-arm with the contact-piece (Z, the dy name-circuit being broken. The parts are left in this position until the engine has ac quired sufiicient momentum to operate the I position shown in dotted lines.

/ now open, as before, the dynamo-circuit is closed, and the battery-circuit is broken. The contact-pieces d and e are arranged so that when the valve is turned to its intermediate closed position the switch-arm will be out of contact with both contact-pieces, so that the operation of closing the valve to shut 01f the gasolene also breaks the circuit in which the sparking device is included, so that there is no liability of failure to break the said circuit and make the sparking device inoperative when the gasolene-valve is closed.

The contact-pieces d and e may be supported in 'any suitable manner. I prefer for the sake of convenience to support them by the valve-casing a, and in this embodiment of my invention I have shown said casing provided with standards f f, having enlarged outer ends or heads f, to which are affixed blocks g g, of insulating material, the contact-pieces d and ebeing affixed to said insulating-blocks,

and thereby insulated from the standards and the casing, as well as from each other. The contact-pieces are provided with suitable binding-posts h h for engagement with the circuit-wires, which connect them, respectively, with the battery and the dynamo. The insulating blocks or pieces 9 may be connected by a central portion g, which, asshown in Fig. 2, extends between the contact-pieces d and e. In other words, the parts g g and g may be a substantially semicircular or arched piece of insulating material secured to the standards f, the contact-pieces d and 6 being placed upon the endportions of said insulating-piece and suitably affixed thereto by screws or otherwise. I prefer to make each of the contacts cl and e in the form of a hook having a longer arm 2, which bears upon the insulation, and a shorter arm 3, which is bent backwardly from the longer arm 2 and is separated therefrom by a space into which the switch-arm c extends,-so that the switch-arm is in contact with both of the parts 2 and 3, an eflicient electrical connection being thus insured. The binding-posts h are attached tot-he outer parts 3 of the contacts.

I claim 1. The combination with a motor and an electric generator operated thereby, of a battery, a combined valve and switch apparatus comprising a valve, a switch-arm movable with the valve, and two contact-pieces located in the path of the switch-arm, and connected respectively with the two sources of electricity specified, whereby the switcharm maycomplete either circuit.

' 2. The combination with a motor and an electric generator operated thereby, of a battery, a combined valve and switch apparatus comprising a valve, a switch-arm movable with the valve, a battery contact-piece arranged in the path of the switch-arm to make contact therewith when the valve is in one position, and a dynamo contact-piece arranged in the path of the switch-arm to make contact therewith when the valve is in an-.

other position, the switch-arm being out of contact with the contact-pieces when the valve is in a third position.

3. The combination with a motor and an electric generator operated thereby, of a bat tery, a valve-casing, two contacts supported by and insulated from the casing and also insulated from each other, avalve movable in said casing and a switch-arm aflixed to the valve, the said contacts being located in the path of the switch-arm and connected respectively with the two'sources of electricity specified, whereby the switch-arm may complete.

either circuit.

L'The combination with a motor and an electric generator operated thereby, of a battery, a valve-casing having two standards, insulating-blocks affixed to said standards, contact-pieces aifixed to said blocks and insulated thereby from the standards and from each other, a rotary valve in said casing adapted to occupy one of two positions when open, and a switch-arm affixed to said valve and adapted to make contact with one contact-piece or the other when the valve is in an open position, the said contact-pieces being arranged so that the arm is out of contact with both of them when the valve is closed.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signatn re in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST o. GARLAND.

\Vitnesses:

AMos A. STEVENS, O. F. BROWN. 

